Gas-cannon



1 ,narran 'sra-rasraaraar ortica.

JAMES H. WILY, oF sourir BETHLnHm/r, rinvlvs'YLVANLQLA GAS-CANNON.

Application inea November 4, 1915; seiiai No. 59,692. l f

To all whom t may concern Be it known that I, JAMES H. WILY, of

Southv Bethlehem, in the county of Northampton, and in the State of Pennsylvania,- "have invented a certain new and useful Improvement in Gas-Cannon, and do herebyv f declare thatthe following is a full, clear,

4a device of this character in which the 'opere ation of the cannon, charging and exploding the same, may be carried out in the simplest manner and without the necessity of any elaborate instructions or precautions. The object of my invention is particularly to provide a device of this character in which the charging of the cannon with the material used for producing the gas to be eX- pl'oded automatically causes the cannon to be adequately ventilated prior to supplying the same with anew charge of explosive gas. vA. further object of my invention is 'to provide a device of this character in which the breech mechanism has to be removed in order to re-load the cannon with .the gas-producing material, thereby ven.-

tilatingthe cannon. A further object is to arrange the parts so that the locking of the Abreech in place, after the insertionv of the gas-producing materials brings into contact the gas-forming materials. -A further object of my invention is to' construct the cannon, in such a manner, that the body of liquid used in connection with the formation of4 the gas, is carriedV in a chamber located on the axle of the cannon so that there is less movement'of this body of liquid, and thus less danger of throwing the liquid out of the chamber when the cannon is being adjusted as to its direction of discharge in the loperation ofthe cannon, and s o that also a more cannon-like construction vmay be produced. Another object'of myl invention is to provide for the cannon, an igniting device of: a durable and eiiicient type. i

4While my invention is capable of embodi ment in many dierentforms, for the purpose of illustration I have shown only one form of my invention in the accompanying drawings, in which, l

Figure 1 is a side elevation of a cannon made in accordance with my invention; I

F 1g. 2 is a plan view of the same partly broken away Fig. 3 is a transverse cross-section of the same; and

Fig. 4 is a longitudinal section of a portion of the same.

1 A Spec-i-cationof Letters Patent. i Patentgd Sept igt, 192g. i

In the drawings I have shown a cannon I i barrel 1, having a baiile 1L andhaving at its rear a pair of inclined lugs 2, to lock in place a breech3, having earsl 4, adapted to extend over the lugs 2. The breech 3 preferablly 1s of large size .solV as to permit the adequate ventilation of the cannon when itis'removed. This breech 3 has a spoon 5 which 1s located in a cylindrical extension 6,

, projecting' from the interiorof the breech 3.

'Ihe spoon 5, which isadapted to introduce into the cannon calcium carbid oranyother gas-forming' material, is of such a length that when the breech 3 is 'in placel on the barrel 1, the spoon is located over a liquid chamber 7, which in case calcium carbid is Said .connected at their rear to a block 11,-having an opening 12, which may be used to contain the supply oaf ammunition, which in this case is the gas-formingmaterial. In the rear of the cylindrical extension 6, there is an opening 13 to permit the entry into the cannon 'of sparks produced by a body of pyrophoric metal 14, in the cylindrical eX- tension 6 and pressed forward by a spring 15 resting against a screw 16 in said eXtension 6 located adjacent to an abrading wheel 17, pivoted to thelback of the breech 3. Below the wheel 17 there is a finger-rest 18, which is of assistance as a rest for the linger when the wheel 17 is to be turned.

'In the operation of the cannon, the breech,

or other removable part 3, is removed by it rearwardly. Then a quantity of the gas- Vforming material, which may be powdered calcium carbid, is dipped up by the spoon 5 from a body of material which may be contained in the block 11. The breech 3 is then applied to the cannon and rotated nearly 180o so as to lock the, ears-4 behind the lugs 2, This movement of the breech turns the spoon 5 over so as to. discharge the carbid the 'diately formed Which mixes With the air in the cannon back of the baiie 1a to form an vexplosive'gaseous mixture.A It is -not necessary to insert any closure in the end of the cannon at the front thereof, as the bodyof air located in the front portion of the barrel ofthe cannon serves the samepurpose, although a cork or other stopper may be inserted, if desired. When noW the Wheel 17 is rotated by resting the first linger beneath the finger-rest 18, and moving the Wheel 17 With the thumb, the body of pyrophoric metal'lt is abraded, so as to project a num ber of sparks into the interior of the cannon through the opening 13. This' explodes the gaseous mixture in the cannon, thus producing a loud report. The explosion is such, however, that no possible damage can occur to anyone or anything located in front of the cannon, so that the device is entirely safe in its operation. When the cannon is to be again discharged, the breech, or other re-` movable part, is removed in the manner already described, Which has the effect of Ventilating the interior ofthe cannon, so as to remove the non-combustible gases therefrom and replace the same With a body of air ready for mixture with a further' quantity of acetylene to bring about the next explosion in the cannon. i

While I have -described my invention above in detail, I Wish it to be understood that lmany changes 'may be made therein Without departing from the spirit of my invention.

I claim:

1. A cannon having an explosion chamber therein, means for admitting oxygen to said chamber, and `means for generating Within said chamber a gas which, When mixed with the oxygen therein forms an explosive gas.

2. A 'cannon having means for charging a body of explosive' gas into the same, comprising a spoon, and means requiring the ventilation of the cannon, prior to each operation of the chaging means.

3. A cannon having means for charging a body of explosive gas into the same, com prising a spoon, and means requiring the ventilation of the cannon, prior to each op* eration of the charging means, comprising a .l removable breech attached to the spoon.

et. A cannon having means for charging a body of gas-forming material into the same, and a liquid receptacle therein, the charging means being so constructed as to discharge into the receptacle when being locked in place. v

5. A cannon having meansy for charging a body of gas-forming material into the same, comprising a breech, and a liquid receptacle therein, the charging means being so .constructed as' to discharge into the receptacle when being locked in place.

6. A cannon having means for charging a 'body of gas-forming material into the same,

comprising a rotatable breech, and a liquid receptacle therein, the charging means being so constructed as to discharge int'o the receptacle when being locked in place.

7. A cannon having means for charging a body of gas-forming material into the same, comprising a rotatable breech, and a liquid receptacle therein, the charging means being so constructed as to discharge into the receptacle When being locked in place, by the ro-v tation of the breech.

' 8. A cannon having means for charging a -tacle formed on the axle, the charging means :being so constructed as to discharge into the receptacle when being locked in place.

10. A cannon having means for charging a body of gas-forming material into the same, comprising a rotatable breech, supporting means comprising- Wheels and an axle, and a liquid receptacle formed on the axle, the charging means being so con-l structed as to discharge into the receptacle when being locked in place..

11. A cannon having means for charging a body of gas-formingv material into the same, comprising a rotatable breech, supporting means comprising Wheels and an axle, and a liquid receptacle formed on the axle, and the charging means being so constructed as to discharge into the receptacle when being locked in place, by the rotation ofthe 12. A cannon having means for supplying a gas-forming material thereto, supporting means comprising Wheels and an axle, and a Water receptacle for `receiving the gasforming material located on the axle.

13. A cannon having means for charging a body of explosive gas into the same, means requiring the ventilation of the cannon, prior to each operation of the charging means, and a pyrophoric metal igniting device on the cannon.

14. A cannon having means for charging a body lof explosive gas into the same, comprising a spoon, means requiring the ven tilation of the cannon, prior to each operation of the charging means, and a pyrophoric metal igniting device on the cannon.

15. A cannon having means for charging to each operation of the charging means,

comprising a removable breech, and a pyrophoric metal igniting device on the cannon. 16. A cannon having means for charglng a body of explosive gas into the same, comprising a spoon, means requiring the ventilation of the cannon, prior to each operation of the charging means, comprising a removable breech attached to vthe spoon, and a pyrophoric metal igniting device on the cannon.

17. A cannon having means for charging a body of gas-.forming material into the same, a liquid receptacle therein, the charging means being so constructed as to discharge into the receptacle when being locked in place,and a pyrophoric metal igniting device on the cannon.

18. A cannon having means for charging a body of gas-forming material into the same, comprising a breech, a liquid receptacle therein, the charging means being so constructed as to discharge into the receptacle When being locked in place, and a pyrophoric metal igniting device on the cannon.

19. A cannon having means for charging a body of gas-forming material into the same, comprising a rotatable breech, a liquid receptacle therein, the charging means being so constructed as to discharge into the receptacle when being locked in place, and a pyrophoric metal igniting device on the cannon. 20. A cannonhaving means for charging -a 'body of gas-forming material into the same, comprising a rotatable breech, a liquid receptacle therein, the charging means being so constructed as to discharge into the receptacle when being locked in pblace, by the rotation of the breech, and a pyrophoricmetal igniting device on thecannon.

21. A cannon having means for charging a body of gas-forming material into the same, supporting means comprising wheels and an axle,- a liquid receptacle formed on the axle, the charging means being so constructed as to discharge into the receptacle when being locked in place, and a pyrophoric metal igniting device o n the cannon.

22. A cannon having means for charging a body of gas-forming material into the same, comprising a breech, supporting means comprising Wheels and an axle, a liquid receptacle formed on the axle, the charging means being so constructed as to discharge into the receptacle -When being locked in place, and a pyrophoric metal igniting device on the cannon.

23. A cannon having means for charging a body of gas-forming material into the same, compri-sing a rotatable breech, supporting means comprising Wheels and an axle, a liquid receptacle formed on the axle, the charging means being so constructed as to dischargeiinto the receptacle When being locked in place, and aA pyrophoric metal igniting device on the cannon.

24. A cannon having means for charging a body of gas-forming material into the same, comprising a rotatable breech, supporting means comprising-Wheels and an axle, and the charging means being so constructed as to'discharge into the receptacle when being locked in place, by the rotation ofthe breech, and a pyrophoric metal igniting device on the cannon.

2,5. A cannon having means forsupplying a gas-forming material thereto, supporting means comprising Wheels and an axle, a Water receptacle for receiving the gas-forming material located on the axle, and a pyrovphoric metal igniting device on the cannon.

JAMES H. WILY Witnesses:

M. K. MORSE, AGNES F. MCLAUGHLIN. 

